Expanded-metal fabric.



APPL; 111111111111111111111 8.

EEEEEEEEEEEEE l.

\\ www /M www m N.E.GLARK.

EXPANDED METAL P IG.

APPLIOATION FILED AP l, 1908.

930,350. Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

` zsHEETs-SHEET z.

n Alans www? @7a/''. f' 'M i I j AHA/5r NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

ExPANDED-METAL FABRIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

Application led'Aprillll, 1908. Seria1.No. 426,558.

provide a construction of this characterwhich has good holding capacity, and Which r is rigid and has great tensile stren th and yet is adapted to a great variety o uses, and which can be manufactured cheaply.

The invention will be found to consist of improvements as hereinafter more fully set forth and illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings Figure 1. is a view showin the arrangement or la out of-slitting; F1 2. shows a fragment o the material expan ed in the pre-1 ferred manner; Fig. 3. is a sectional view of same on the plane of the vertical line X X Fig. 2; Fig. 4. is a sectional viewon the plane of the horizontal line Y Y Fig. 2; Figf; is a fragmentary View of the product formed in a somewhat different manner; Fig. 6. is a sectional view of the same on the plane of the vertical line Z-Z Fig. 5; Fig. 7. is a detail ofl a lfragment of a modification of the fabric; Fig. 8. is a detail on a larger scale showing a fragment of one of the tension strips; Fig.l 9.

is a sectional view of the same; F1 10,. is a view similar to Fig. -8. of a mod' ed strip; Fig. 11. is a detail view on a large scale of a fra ment showing a bond;` Fig. 12. is a detai sectional view along one of the tension strips showing the fabric curved as for a cornice; Fig. 13. isa similar view showing the fabric bent at a sharp angle; Figs. 14. and 15. are fragmentary sections of round and corrugated tension members res ectively.

The material is preferab y first slitted by suitable cutters and then expanded byother means. shown in Fig. 1, in which the material as in area 1 is perforated, lanced or slitted in uniform sta gered arran ementas is usual in expanded; metal man acture but along lines inclined relative to the sides of the sheet. Area 1, may be considered as a unit with the left hand border stri 2, and the right hand border strip 3, whic stripsjserve as longi-l` The slitting is in an arrangement astudinal tension members.` The unit `may be repeated to obtain the width desired, reversing the direction of inclination of the slits in order to avoid waste of material. instance the slits in area 4 slope upwardlyto the right while those in area 1 slo e upwardly to the left. Tension strip 5 ounds area 4 on the right.

After slitting `as described, the material is expanded or stretched in any suitable manner so as to open the slits. The tension stri s or members such as 2, 3 and 5 are preferab y left flat (see Figs. 8 and' 9)` so that they rlnay be curved or bent when desired (see Figsl. 12 and 13). The central meshes of each unit area are bounded by strands such as 6, 7, 8 and 9 which stand substantially on edge and thus form convenient supports for plaster When ,the fabric is used for lathing. Strands 10, 11, 12, 13, 6, 7 and 1K4 constituted originally one straight strip 15 in the slitted stock Fig. 1. The strands 1 0 and 14 are turned flat just as they join the tension members 2 and 3 respectively. All the'bonds between the strands being as shown in Fig. 11 ermit the body of the fabric to be curved, or ormed as desired. The strands of the adjacent arcas are preferably connected opposite one another as are the strands 14 and 16`in Fig. 8. but may be alternate, as are strands 14 and A16 in Fig. 10. Each form requires its ownarrangement of slitting.

. When the Width of the strand is greater than the thickness of the metal and the sheet of slitted material is stretched as shown in Fi 5. the strands 17 and 18, the bonds and t e tension members 19 and 20 all tend to turn on edge as shown in Fig. 6. unless otherwise directed or treated. This is useful in-some ways but cannot becuryed without buckling the tension members.

In the form of body shown in 7. the strands are arranged somewhat' di erently. Strand 21 is longer than either 22 or 23 and thus forms the diagonal of a large mesh.

' This also forms a flexible body. The strands of the body being arranged on edge make the fabric suiiiciently rigid for purposes of eiection. The type of bond however permits the body to be curved or readily formed. The longitudinal members serve to give direct tensional strength and being fiat theyl may -be bent uniformly without buckling. The

tension vmembers being in the general plane of the material and the strands substantially at right angles thereto, the fabric is particularly adapted to uses Where vibration might tend to loosen the fabric from the plaster or concrete in which it is embedded. The arrangement of the slittin shown which permits the formation of a r ombic mesh is preferred. The bonds are all arallel but are inclined relatively to the irection of the tension members. v Other proportions may be used however if desired so *far as the broad claims herein arel concerned. So also if desired the fabric may be made from specially rolled sectionsin which the tensionm'embers are round or otherwise shapedin cross section as at 24 in Fig. 14. The strips or tension members may also be corrugated or rooved if desired as at 25 in Fig. 15. These orms do not have the flexibility of the preferred form of Figs. 2', 3 and 4 but have their own advantages.

What I claim is:

1. An expanded metal fabric consisting of flat longitudinal tension members connected by zig-zag strands connected at a plurality of intervals and arranged on edge.

' 2. An ex anded metal fabric consisting of longitudina tension members connected by parallel, zig-zag strips connected by bonds lnclined relatively to the direction of the tension members.

3. An expanded metal fabric comprising substantially parallel tension members and a plurality of zig-zag bent strips integrally connecting the tension members, the strips being arranged edgewise to the general plane of the fabric and all extending in the same direction, each strip being integrally united With the adjacent strip at a plurality of points.

4. A-n expanded metal structure comprising a central tension member, two side tension members, a plurality of zig-zag strips integrally connecting the central and side members, eachstrip being on edge and integrally connected to each adjacent strip at a plurality of points.

5. An expanded metal fabric comprising substantially arallel straight members whose principa surfaces are substantially parallel with the plane of the fabric, zig-zag strands connected to each other at a plurality of points and arranged on edge and connecting the adjacent edges of adjacent members and inclined relative thereto,'tl1e direction of4 inclination of the strands in one section being opposite to the direction of inclination ofthe strands of the ad'acentsections.

NOR IS ELMORE CLARK A Witnesses: ALICE P. GOELLER, ROBT. S. ALLYN. 

